On June 25, the Board of Directors hosted a special event that honored Impact Austin volunteers for fueling the organization’s member-powered engine. Special thanks and recognition were given to the following ‘Wonder Women’ for above-and-beyond contributions. These ladies didn’t just apply their talents to our mission but also motivated the members who work alongside them. Read below for their inspiring stories of volunteerism within our ranks.

Who else is going above-and-beyond for Impact Austin? If you have a Wonder Woman to nominate, please share that information HERE.

The grandest applause is offered to our Impact Austin Wonder Woman of the Year, Val Kirk.

Val Kirk, Financial Administrator

For an entire decade, Val has served as our volunteer financial administrator. The membership at large may not realize the extent of her selfless diligence on behalf of the finance committee and as financial administrator. Those who work closely with Val know her value to Impact Austin! Val is also an amazing IA historian who can - at a moment’s notice - recall facts and data, or point you in the right direction. Val has served on the Board and Committee Cabinet in addition to being involved in several operations initiatives. Val will continue to serve on the Finance Committee and is now the Treasurer of the Women’s Collective Giving Network Board of Directors. Read HERE to know more about Val.

Phylis Donelson, Membership Recruitment Lead

Phylis came out of IA volunteer retirement and not only did 20+ recruiting coffees last fall, she also coordinated Community Partner speakers for each one. She was instrumental in helping us recruit 140+ new members! Impact Austin turned the curve on membership in large part because of Phylis’ dedication to our recruitment efforts and her warm, welcoming smile for our new members. She’s already at work again, alongside Founder Rebecca Powers, with a goal of 500 members in FY 2019!

Christine Egli, Discovery Day Chair and Technology Consultant

Christine chaired 2018 Discovery Day, an event that drew rave reviews for format, topics and speakers. Following Discovery Day, Christine began a new project with Impact Austin, combining her technology background with a passion for our mission. She has worked with IA volunteers and two UT-Austin students to develop an online member portal within our website. Christine’s technology background, dedication to mission and teamwork were recognized by those who had the pleasure of working with her in numerous capacities.

Ami Kane, Girls Giving Grants Co-Chair

Ami has made significant contributions to Impact Austin as the chair of the Girls Giving Grants program. She has handled various facets of the program - from back-office operations to program development and direct student advising. Under her leadership, g3 crossed the $70,000 threshold in giving to greater Austin nonprofits! The g3 girls celebrated Ami’s 8-year commitment with a very personalized tribute - each gifting a bottle of nail polish to Ami’s collection. This Wonder Woman has flare!

Judi McCarthy, Marketing Co-Chair

Judi stepped into the role of marketing co-chair after serving just a few months on the committee. She enthusiastically expanded Impact Austin’s social media activity that increased our followings across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The Marketing Committee produced new collateral for the 15th anniversary, and robust communications to highlight volunteers and new members, and Judi credits . Suzanne Daniels and Kali’ Rouke has key contributors. Judi was the driving force behind the beautiful fifteenth anniversary video, which so eloquently captures our culture and impact. Don't miss it!

Karen was deeply involved in the GRC processes tied to our grants management software. Karen put extraordinary effort into creating and testing detailed instructions, guidelines and reports to make it easier for the GRC chairs, advisors and members to work in the software. She also created instructions for the nonprofits at each phase of the grants process. Her Wonder Woman efforts reduced user errors and requests for help. The grants team said they simply couldn’t have gotten through the year without Karen!

Tracy Snodgrass, Financial Administration Coordinator

For almost three years, Tracy has been an invaluable Financial Administration Coordinator. She checked mail every week (and virtually every day at year-end), went to the bank to deposit funds, and meticulously entered check payments into Salesforce - without errors. She kept consistent, detailed records and documentation on deposits that made document production on these transactions easy during Impact Austin’s annual audit. Tracy’s attention to detail and strong follow-through made her an invaluable member of the Operations Team!

Stacey Vicari, Zones Chair

Stacey joined Impact Austin and proactively sought the opportunity to create informal gathering opportunities for our amazing women. What we now call the Zones initiative allows members to deepen their connections to one another and to our organization. Stacey has led the Zones initiative since its inception. Her energy, vision and creativity inspired a committed team of women who lead fun Zone events on a regular basis. So many of us now directly benefit from Stacey’s vision. If you’d like to know more about Zones, please check out their web page.

A big thank you to these leaders and ALL members working alongside them, each doing great things for our organization. Remember to nominate other Wonder Women among us!

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If you’re new to Impact Austin, or you’ve simply never served on a Grant Review Committee (GRC), you might be wondering if participating this year is right for YOU. Maybe so! Here are some points to consider.